It
seems that after a genre is created and "peaks" in the eye of the
popular opinion that weird interpretations pop up of the genre. One such style
is noise rock, which itself is loosely listed by Post-(Insert genre). Usually
rock or metal, these styles are populated by bands that wish to play music, but
don't really get the whole band thing. They simply play in the same room,
throwing sounds like a toddler throws toys, hoping that it sounds eclectic
enough to come off as artsy or at least fashionably tussled. What they really
sound like is people who don't know how to play anything with anyone. It’s just
a noise, and doesn't really give me anything to grasp inside my heart and mind.
Don't just throw a jumble at me, give it some thought and make an intelligent
mess.

A
band that breaks this mould is Fashion Week, who just dropped their new hot
mess, Prêt-à-Porter. They have a
burning energy, a binding passion in their sound, and it makes all the weird
parts seem like perfectly normal touches. The band plays with a groove that is
unmistakable, even when the singer(s) are screaming everything at you, and it
gives you a road to walk down while you look at all the strange colors they
paint with. They completely ignore the dumb all-the-noises song not-structure,
and go with a strong song, based on some killer chord-heavy grooves, great
drumming, and a very Deftones-esque execution (except listenable and not
whiny).

Prêt-à-Porter is really a fun listen, and receives
a warm welcome from me. I didn't stop listening halfway through the opening
verse of the first song, which is a glorious start. ‘Fendi Bender’ is an
excellent intro for this album, has one of the sweetest melodies you'll hear
out of a current band, and gets stuck in the brain pan for a while after.
Really, it indicates some of what you should expect out of the album: smart
writing, some tongue-in-cheek humor (if your fast, you'll get the possible joke
behind ‘Chorusace’. Refer to band title), excellent playing, and honestly just
having a fun sound. It's not reaching for obtuse art, nor is it vintage 80s
death metal. It’s accessible.

Another
great slice is ‘Meek is Meeznable’. For a sub 3 minute song, it sucks you in
for what feels like much longer. It’s beautiful if you take the time to listen
to the band and what they are doing. The
vocals, although slightly jarring if you haven't listened to much metal or hard
rock, don't fall into lock step so much as hop a piggy back ride all the way
through.

If
you want a new sound, and you don't mind giving it a couple listens to find the
gold thread woven throughout, check out Fashion Week. It'll look great on you!

Band Submissions

To those bands who have recently issued their first demo or album via bandcamp and would like to be featured on our 666 Pack Review or considered for a full review or stream please contact Aaron via email including your EPK, band bio, album file or download code, including artwork.

To those bands issuing their sophomore record and so on and would like to be considered for a review or stream on the blog. Get in touch using the same address above

We will consider bands from any genre but exclusively stoner, sludge, doom, psych, post-metal, experimental, black-metal etc. (Whilst I would like to respond to every email, this is not always possible.) Thanks